A worthy read.
“Now that Trump has rejected our would-be Asian allies, China is trying to put together a different trade pact with some of the same countries. If China succeeds, it will gain more sway in Asia, as will a more bare-knuckle economic system in which copyrights, worker rights, product safety and the environment aren’t taken very seriously.
Meanwhile, Beijing will be able to point to Trump’s extralegal stances as proof that the United States is just another self-interested, transactional nation. After all, the United States also threatened a trade war when it was unhappy with one of its neighbors and also mistreats its ethnic minorities.
The early pattern of Trump foreign policy is to take actions that have the veneer of strength but are actually weak. It’s a kind of anti-Teddy Rooseveltism. Instead of speaking softly and carrying a big stick, the White House is screaming loudly to hide insecurity about the strength of its stick.”